Sydney Domain Editor

Ace for space... Maree Ward and children Holly and Harley at their Lewisham house.

In Sydney's crowded inner west, where small terraces and workers' cottages rule, demand for larger, four-bedroom houses shows no sign of slowing, as growing families who have already put down roots are opting to stay put.

Even over the quieter January period, agents have been fielding a stream of calls from buyers who are on the hunt for one of these properties, which, especially in some suburbs, rarely come up for sale.

In Annandale, these four-bedders make up about 5 per cent of the total number of properties Robert Clarke, of Belle Property Annandale, sells each year. ''The majority of houses we sell are two-bedrooms and then you get a smaller proportion which are three-bedrooms,'' he says. ''There are very few which are four-bedrooms and that's because people want to stay local when they're upgrading, especially if the kids are at schools.''

Ainsworth Street, Lilyfield

Spacious... the lower level features formal and family living areas, while the four bedrooms are upstairs.

He is seeing more four-bedders for sale in the Annandale area at the moment, which he regards as a rare opportunity. Clarke expects prices to ''take off'' later in the year.

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Further west, these houses are much thinner on the ground - certainly not enough to satisfy the number of buyers who are looking. ''There are not many four-bedroom homes in the Concord area at the moment,'' says Paul Pettenon, of Raine & Horne Concord. ''The ones that are available are getting snapped up by young growing families which have just sold to move to a bigger one.''

Many of these buyers are coming from more-cramped parts of the inner west, such as Newtown and Enmore, for the bigger 600-square-metre to 700-square-metre blocks with lawns and off-street parking, Pettenon says.

This demand for four-bedders is reflected in 2011 census figures, which show that these properties are becoming more popular generally, while the number of three-bedroom houses is dropping.

And this is pushing their prices up. The median price of a four-bedder in the inner west is now $1,195,000, up from $1.05 million at the end of 2009, figures from Fairfax-owned Australian Property Monitors (APM) show. This is compared with the Sydney-wide median for four-bedders of $670,000. APM figures show the average block size for a four-bedroom house in the inner west is 432 square metres, and size ranges from the large blocks in suburbs such as Haberfield, Strathfield and Burwood to the pocket-size lots in Newtown.

Pettenon says buyers will need more than $1.1 million for a four-bedder in his area, while Shad Hassen, a partner at McGrath Inner West, says closer to the city they're more likely to need $1.3 million.

But he cautions sellers that not all will command these prices. ''The key is if you've got a four-bedroom home that's calling for a family then you need to have the other attributes that accommodate a family. There's no point having one on a small block, or one that doesn't have two living spaces.''

Hassen says the corridor of suburbs from Stanmore, Petersham, Lewisham and Dulwich have the best-value four-bedroom homes. These suburbs ''offer a great lifestyle and have easy access to the city'', he says.

''For a value perspective, you can get more for your dollar in those suburbs that aren't as well known.''

What to keep in mind

Room to move:

Just because a house has four bedrooms doesn't mean it's ideal for a larger family. Check the floor plan to make sure it has two living areas and two bathrooms.

Gardens:

You'll pay a lot for a big backyard in the inner west, but a way around that is to look for a larger house close to a park, of which there are many.

Parking:

While many inner-west households trade off-street parking for a larger patch of turf, make sure you won't have to fight tooth and nail for a car spot on the street. Streets close to public transport can be popular with commuter parking.

Prices:

There were 607 four-bedroom houses sold in the inner west in 2012. The median price was $1,195,000, up from $1.05 million in 2009 - an increase of 13.8 per cent.

Family-friendly and near the action

With two active children under five, Maree Ward and her partner, Aaron Cupples, knew they couldn't stay in their Newtown house forever.

As much as they loved it and the area, with its bustling vibe and proximity to good coffee, they realised the four of them needed a bigger block than just 105 square metres.

They wanted to stay in the inner west, so began the hunt in 2012 for a four-bedroom house with a backyard and off-street parking.

''I do some work from home and our family lives away, and so we need that fourth bedroom for guests,'' Ward says. By November they had found something on four times the block size and only a few suburbs away.

The grand, two-storey 1880s terrace on 438 square metres in Lewisham, bought for $1,065,000 through Shad Hassen of McGrath Inner West, needed a little work but was otherwise perfect. It had the internal space they were after, with soaring ceilings and vast rooms, and a backyard big enough for plenty of cartwheels and games of chasings. It also oozed character and history.

''Although Lewisham is not as [central] as Newtown there are great schools nearby [and] it's not far from Petersham and Summer Hill,'' Ward says. ''It's definitely somewhere we're looking to stay for some time.

''That move a little bit further out worked for us.''

Feature property: 9 Ainsworth Street, Lilyfield

4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 0 car spaces

This two-storey house looks as if it has only just been finished, but was designed and built in 1998 by the owners, one of whom is an architect.

On 278 square metres and in a quiet street, its lower level has two spacious, connected living areas - one formal and the other a family room with a kitchen that opens to a paved courtyard, garden and lawn. There is also a laundry and a bathroom with a spa on the ground floor. A gate in the back fence provides direct access to a children's playground in War Memorial Park.

The bedrooms are upstairs and have built-ins. The main suite has a walk-in wardrobe, bathroom and a balcony that overlooks the park. Agent David Eastway says the house is solidly built and bathed in natural light.

But it is the size of the property and its practical design that sets it apart, he says.

''Some people sacrifice a living area in order to have a fourth bedroom,'' Eastway says.

6 comments

Great! The conclusion is there will be more pressure on prices. WOW that means that prices will rebound and go up and keep going up until a Shack 50 KMs from the CBD will cost over a million.

People keep stressing, biting your nails, untill you can save that 10% and run to buy a house before there is non left on the market and only multimillionaires can afford them. Then you also have to decorate so take another loan. Then follow the news eagerly the last five minutes before you go to bed to make sure that you have lost nothing and you house is increasing in value.

Commenter

Mich

Location

Sydney

Date and time

February 15, 2013, 1:48PM

I don't know who reincarnated or invented the word "Bespoke" but now everything is bespoke and of course "Savvy" please let these words go and come up with your own original ways of expression so we are not all living in similar houses, driving similar cars, having the same cover letter, job advertisement, and speech.

Also I think the word sustainable wants an honorable way out so please let it go it's unsustainable.

Commenter

Mich

Location

Sydney

Date and time

February 15, 2013, 1:56PM

You mention burwood and strathfield- why don't you go 4km or 5mins drive west, buy in Lidcombe, it'll be much cheaper and you're only 5 mins drive away from those places.

Commenter

bill

Location

Date and time

February 15, 2013, 3:00PM

"shows no sign of slowing"

It seems the property industry is at their usual rounds of spruik

Commenter

Mr Ponzi

Location

Date and time

February 15, 2013, 3:02PM

that Lewisham house in the photo has some great cracks above the doors.tops

Commenter

casual observer

Location

here

Date and time

February 15, 2013, 3:38PM

You failed to mention the stand out suburb in the inner west – Ashbury.